Neurosurgery
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Meta Analysis
Recurrence Rates After Surgical or Endovascular Treatment of Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: A Meta-analysis.
There is an increasing tendency to treat spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (SDAVFs) endovascularly despite the lack of clear evidence favoring embolization over surgery. ⋯ Although hampered by inclusion of poor quality studies, this meta-analysis shows a definite advantage of primary surgical treatment of SDAVF over endovascular treatment in initial failure rate and late recurrences. The often-used argument that endovascular techniques have improved and therefore outweigh surgery is not supported by this meta-analysis.